


Daryl’s Dog

by rcmbelle



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Puppy dog, cute and fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-07 03:06:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18401843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rcmbelle/pseuds/rcmbelle
Summary: How Daryl finds Dog.





	Daryl’s Dog

**Author's Note:**

> This is a One-Shot based around my story “Just Another Dead Girl” And it revolves around how Daryl discovers Dog and how he shows him to Beth and Emma.

Another day in the woods and Daryl Dixon still hadn’t found Rick. He had started by the bridge that Rick blew up, working his way from there. Michonne had found Rick’s gun in the dirt and mud along the bank of the river, so Daryl assumed it either washed up there or Rick was alive and left his gun there. Which shocked Daryl, why would Rick leave his gun? Unless he was taken by someone or was so out of it.  
With Beth being back at Alexandria with Emma, he knew they were safe and sound there. Occasionally he would go back home to them, Beth would beg him to stay. But he knew he couldn’t. Not until he found Rick or a sign of him. He hadn’t given up on finding Beth, he won’t give up on Rick.  
Moving down the river, he expanded his search about two miles from the bridge. He still couldn’t find any sign of his friend and he was close to abandoning hope. But Beth told him not to, that he would find something eventually. So Daryl kept on looking.  
He walked by the river side, and lifted his head. What was that sound? It was a soft whine and whimper, followed by splashing. That’s when he saw the tiny fuzzy black and brown body of a puppy struggling to keep his head above the rushing water. Daryl couldn’t let the dog die, so he swung his crossbow over his shoulder and waded into the water, reaching down and right as the puppy was about to pass him, grabbed him and picked him up. “Damn Dog, don’t bite me!” He snarled as the puppy was trying to nip his hands. “Savin’ your damn life.” He muttered, setting the dog down on the bank. “A’right. Saved your life. Now go on.” He pushes it away from the water. The puppy just sat, tilting his head up at Daryl before it barked and licked his hand.  
“Hey now. Don’t gotta do that.” Daryl stood up. “Go on now. Shoo.” He kept on walking along the bank, continuing his search for Rick.  
But that damn dog didn’t shoo. He barked and followed Daryl the entire way along the river side. “Stop ya barking.” Daryl looked sternly down at the Dog. The dog just blinked his dark eyes up at Daryl, and Daryl couldn’t help the small smile that crossed his face.  
“Ya hungry?” He asked, crouching down. The dog backed up and wagged his tail, perking his ears up.  
Daryl pulled out a bar and split it in half. He threw it on the ground, and he Dog leaned forward, tearing into the bar and munching happily.  
The He started barking like crazy, and then Daryl heard the walker before him. He turned, sinking the arrow from his crossbow into the dead’s skull. He turned back to the dog and smirked. That damn dog had just saved his life.  
“Come on then,” he whistled. The dog yapped and jumped up happily, wagging his tail.  
“Come on Dog.” He hummed. He knew better than to get attached to the animal, he could die and there wouldn’t be a point. So he named the dog Dog, it was simple and easy enough.  
He manages to make it back to Alexandria and picked up the puppy. “You be good, okay? Takin’ ya to meet the most important people ta me.” He scratches the dog behind the ears, and the dog leaned up to lick Daryl’s face.  
“Alright alright be cool lil’ dude.” Daryl couldn’t help but smile as the puppy barked and tilted his little head. One of his ears flopped backwards and Daryl reached to fix it. “Gotta make you look all presentable and shit.” He said under his breath.  
Daryl walked inside the house he shared with his little family, up the stairs to where the shower was located. He assumed Beth was out teaching the kids, and Emma with her. So Daryl assumed he had at least a few hours until they returned home.  
Home. Daryl never really had one, his home as a kid was shit and after that, he just roamed around with Merle. And then he found that Atlanta group, the farm was lost, the prison was lost, the funeral home was lost...  
He shook his head, coming out of his thoughts. “Alright. Stay.” He sat the dog down inside the shower and shut the door, opening the other side just a crack to turn the water on. He got on his knees, scrubbing the puppy as he watched the fuzzy fur start to pop free from the mud and dirt that had managed to lodge itself into his fur.  
Turning the water off, Daryl wrapped the little guy in a towel, drying him off. Setting him back down, Dog did a little shake getting rid of the rest of the water.  
“Alright. Come on Dog.” He whistled again and Dog followed him. He thought it was nice, having the animal around. He was sure Emma would love him and Beth would too. It would be good for Emma to grow up with added protection.  
Daryl walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, making himself a sandwich and threw the scraps down to Dog who scarfed them down.  
“Daryl?” That was Beth now, he heard he front door open and close.  
Dog took off without a second thought, barking and yapping all the way. Daryl took after him, as Beth laughed. She was on the ground, Dog licking her face all over. Emma stood next to them, giggling and clapping her hands excitedly.  
“Looks like he’s made himself at home.” Daryl stood up, stuffing the rest of his sandwich into his mouth.  
Emma ran over to Daryl and he bent down to pick her up. “Hi sweetheart.”  
Beth stood up, holding the puppy in her arms. “This was a surprise.” She smiled widely up at Daryl. God- the things that smile made him feel.  
“Yeah. Found him strugglin’ ta swim in the river? He followed me so I took him in.” Daryl shrugged, as Emma squirmed in his arms to be let down, and Dog did the same in Beth’s arms. Daryl set his daughter down and Beth put Dog down, and Emma giggled. “Hi doggy!” She reaches out to pet him, Dog licking her hand which made the little girl squeal out of joy.  
“What’s his name?” Beth asked as she leaned into Daryl’s arms.  
“Dog.” He shrugged.  
Beth arched her eyebrow. “You named the dog... Dog?” She laughed and leaned on her tip toes and kisses his cheek. “Well I love it. Guess he’s apart of the family now, huh?” She smiled up at him with her blue eyes shining.  
Daryl stared down at their daughter and Dog, before looking back into Beth’s eyes.  
“Yeah, he is.”


End file.
